Lawrence, KS Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Nonilluminated exemption
- First-floor windows, 2-12 ft above grade
- Illuminated exemption cap
- 12 square feet maximum, same height range
- Exemption applies in
- Nonresidential zoning districts only
- Oversize illuminated signs
- Treated as a regulated wall sign
- Unpermitted sign penalty
- $500-$1,000 fine per act, Sec. 5-2032
Summary
In the City of Lawrence, window signs skip the sign permit only within limits. Nonilluminated first-floor window signs mounted two to 12 feet above grade need no permit in nonresidential districts, and the same is true for internally illuminated ones, but only up to 12 square feet in size.
(6)Window signs.a.In any nonresidential zoning district, nonilluminated window signs that are mounted in the interior of a structure or applied directly to the interior or exterior of first-floor windows, between two feet and 12 feet above grade, are exempt from the sign permit requirement.b.In any nonresidential zoning district, internally illuminated window signs that are mounted in the interior of a structure or applied directly to the interior or exterior of first-floor windows, between two feet and 12 feet above grade and do not exceed 12 square feet in size, are exempt from the sign permit requirement.
Full Breakdown
Section 5-2012 lists the signs exempt from the city's sign permit requirement, and window signs get two carve-outs, both limited to nonresidential zoning districts. A nonilluminated window sign, mounted inside a structure or applied to the interior or exterior of a first-floor window between two and 12 feet above grade, needs no sign permit at all under subsection (a)(6)a. An internally illuminated window sign gets the same permit exemption under subsection (a)(6)b, but only if it also stays at or under 12 square feet in size; a larger illuminated window sign falls outside the exemption.
That size line matters because the code's own definition of a regulated wall sign (Sec. 5-2003) expressly includes an internally illuminated sign greater than 12 square feet in area and mounted on the interior side of a window, meaning a big enough illuminated window display is treated and permitted exactly like any other wall sign rather than as a window sign. Exempt signs still are not unregulated: unless specifically stated otherwise, exempt signs don't count toward a lot's overall sign-area allowance, but every exempt sign, other than a governmental sign, must still comply with all other provisions of the sign code unless the sign code board of appeals grants a variance (Sec.
5-2012(b)-(c)). Outside a nonresidential district, in other words in any residential zoning district, neither exemption in subsection (a)(6) applies, so a window sign there is judged under the code's general permit and wall-sign rules rather than this carve-out.
Violations & Fines
A window sign that needs a permit and doesn't have one, because it's illuminated and over 12 square feet, or because it sits in a residential district outside the exemption, is an unlawful sign under section 5-2031(a). The code official can issue a notice and order requiring removal or correction, or an after-the-fact permit application paying double the normal sign-permit fee (Sec. 5-2024(f)). Knowingly installing it without a permit is also a separate municipal offense carrying a fine of $500.00 to $1,000.00 per act.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do window signs need a permit in Lawrence?
What size illuminated window sign can I have without a permit in Lawrence?
Are window signs exempt from Lawrence's sign permit in residential areas?
What happens if my illuminated window sign is bigger than 12 square feet?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lawrence
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